International Day of Friendship
In 2011, the United Nations (UN) declared July 30 to be the International Day of Friendship with the idea that friendship between people, countries, and cultures can inspire peace and build bridges between communities.
The day, which is also known as World Friendship Day, encourages involving young people in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity.
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Friends are beautiful presents, each wrapped in their own unique packages.
We develop friendships within our communities, our country, and across the world. We surround ourselves with friends of different ages, backgrounds, cultures, and personalities. We support, encourage, and treasure our friends. They are important for our health, happiness, and world peace.
Celebrate Friendship
- Make a phone call, send an email, text, or card. Let your friends know how important they are to you.
- Flowers, chocolates, photo frames and albums, music, and books are thoughtful gift ideas.
- Make matching special seed bracelets.
- Make a wish bracelet and include the following wish on a card:
Close your eyes and make a wish
Then tie this bracelet on your wrist
When it falls off or the threads wear through
That is when your wish comes true.
Make New Friends
- Students of the World A student network to make friends all over the world
- Global Penfriends Penpals from all over the world interested in friendship, cultural exchange, language learning, travel and education
- PenPal World More than 2,300,000 members from all around the world
*These are all free services. Be sure to do your homework before signing up with any online service.
Attend or Host a Community Event
- Celebrate the beauty that diversity brings to your community and develop new friendships at the same time.
- Food and music in a local park is a fun way to bring people together.
- Check your local sources for upcoming cultural events, festivals, meetings, etc.
Read Books About Friendship
- Multicultural Children’s Books About Friendship One of the most important things we can teach our children is how to be a good friend. From making a friend at a new school to overcoming conflict in a friendship, from inter-generational friendships to friendships across racial divides – the picture books on this list show children what it takes to make a friend and what it means to be one. -Colours of Us
- Books About Friendship Just like a real-life friend, books about friendship can be both entertaining and comforting for kids. This list of friendship-related stories is sure to strike a chord with the young readers in your house. Filter by age, preschool to teen. – Common Sense Media
It’s Friendship Day, but all of the friendship bracelets are missing. The bracelets won’t glow unless everyone around the world has them! Travel to France, Tanzania, Russia, and China to see how Friendship Day is saved!
This is a story about friendship across nations and cultures. A child visits nine different countries and makes friends in each one. He discovers how children live in other countries and the things they enjoy doing.